Consequences
by Artemis Elric
Summary: Occupied with the affairs of the newly born Renegades, Yuan hasn’t had time for oldest friend in quite a while. He may have to choose between his past and his future, but how can he when the world is falling apart before his very eyes?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've been _long_ overdue for a Tales of Symphonia fanfiction, so here's a story that was inspired by the incredible Renegade fanfiction _Reliance, _which can of course be found here on FFN and which I consider essential reading material for any Renegade fan. This takes place roughly 50 years before the events of the game.

Disclaimer: Um, Tales of Symphonia belongs to Namco and the characters belong to Kosuke Fujishima, or whatever his name is. They're not mine; shocking, I know. If they were, do you think Botta would have died? Of course not.

Spoilers: Whoppers. If you haven't beaten the game, you're going to regret reading this.

--

Welgaia hadn't changed a bit, not that Yuan had expected it to in the short year he was away. He felt an acute sadness at having to return, but in a way the lifeless marble halls were almost preferred to the state that the once-flourishing Sylvarant was in. Yggdrasill was cold and distant, as always, Martel still imprisoned in the Great Seed Chamber; the angels remained vacant and emotionless, the bloodthirsty Desians still their complete opposite in personality, if not in their goals.

"Lord Yuan?"

He turned, slowly. "Hello, Pronyma," he said steadily. Apparently the Grand Cardinals also still had that annoying habit of popping up where you least wanted them to. "It's been a while."

"Indeed," she said coldly, not having lost her lack of respect, either. "Did you enjoy your little jaunt on that filthy world?"

Yuan's eyes narrowed. "Our ancestors would never have come down from Derris Kharlan had they found the planet and its inhabitants 'filthy'," he quipped. "And having been gone for a year or so doesn't mean that I deserve any less respect. I will always be a Seraph, or do you need Lord Yggdrasill to remind you?" _Always a Seraph._ Yuan winced inwardly at his own choice of words.

"Of course not," Pronyma corrected herself with a small bow. "Forgive me, Lord Yuan." Her voice still held a trace of mockery, but the time spent on the surface had been like a breath of fresh air to Yuan and he was able to check himself. He'd always held a certain dislike for Pronyma, with her blind loyalty to Lord Yggdrasill and her scheming against the other Cardinals with no purpose other than ambition. But he'd had his year of freedom; now it was time to put up with this place, and all of its inhabitants, once more.

And speaking of inhabitants… "Pronyma," Yuan asked as she was about to leave, "Have you seen Kratos recently?"

Pronyma stopped, and looked at him with a strange expression. "Not more than anyone else," she said a little stiffly. "Almost not at all in the last few months. If you mean to go find him, he's probably in his chambers, but I'll warn you," here she allowed her mouth to twitch into a faint derisive grin, "he doesn't like company."

_Strange_, Yuan thought. Kratos always welcomed visitors; they helped break the monotony. "Well, I understand him preferring not to have you around," he retorted, "but I get the feeling I'll be much more welcome."

Here her grin widened ever so slightly. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Lord Yuan." When his eyes demanded that she explain, she added, "He hasn't been himself recently, you could say."

Yuan stared at her warily. "Not been himself?" he repeated. "How can you tell?" _How could you possibly know he's not himself when you don't even know the real him?_

Pronyma looked offended at the Seraph's presumption. "I may not have known him for thousands of years, Lord Yuan," she sniffed, "but I can see clearly enough that something is troubling him. At least _I've _been around to notice."

This last comment hurt Yuan more than he would have liked, but he managed not to let it show on his face. "Some of us have work to do," was all he said. "Has he given any indication as to what it is that's bothering him?"

"Well, it's not like I've made a point of following him around, " she sighed, "but not that I've seen. He doesn't say much of anything, really. Some weeks he doesn't leave his room for weeks at a time." She shrugged. "Not like any of that matters to _me_," she added haughtily. "And besides, I should have thought that had any of it mattered to you, Lord Yuan, you wouldn't ever have left Welgaia to begin with."

With that last stinging comment, Pronyma floated off, leaving a speechless Yuan staring down an empty hallway. He should have upbraided her again for her impudence, but he was too preoccupied with her words. It was true that he'd been away for longer than he'd intended, certainly longer than he should have, but the Renegades had required constant attention, and this was a critical stage: soon, he planned to transfer full control of the Renegades to Botta, remaining in the shadows while his trusted second-in-command took on the full responsibility of the organization, as well as the weight of being recognized as their leader when the time came to openly oppose Cruxis.

He'd told Kratos when he'd left that he could contact Yuan any time he wanted, and Yuan would answer. But the messaging system had been oddly quiet all year, Yuan now realized, and he'd been too busy to notice. He'd been _happy_ for those 12 months, genuinely so, happier than he'd been in a long while. It was almost like during the Kharlan War, when he'd had friends he could depend on and work together with them, knowing they were doing the right thing… he and Botta had grown closer than ever, almost as close as he and Kratos had been, although of course no one could take the Seraph's place in Yuan's heart.

Yuan stopped for a moment; without realizing it, he'd begun to head down the corridor towards the room Kratos called home. His train of thought had begun to worry him; he'd been gone for an unusually long time, saying only that he was working from his base on the surface of the planet… what if Kratos thought he _had_ been replaced?

_No, he's not that stupid._ Yuan shook himself, resuming his march down the hall. Kratos had always been the most brooding and uncertain of them all, deep down, but not to this extent. It must be something else….

_Maybe he's beginning to doubt Mithos!_ The thought struck Yuan suddenly. _Of course. That would explain his distance from the Grand Cardinals, as well as his lack of action. He doesn't know what to do… he must think I'm his enemy, which is why he hasn't contacted me…. _Filled with sudden excitement, Yuan hurried the rest of the way to his oldest friend's room. If Kratos had realized that what Mithos was doing was wrong, Yuan felt sure that he could convince him to join the Renegades. And with two of the four Seraphim on his side… no, he reminded himself, three, _three_ of the four Seraphim were on his side, no matter what Mithos might think… if it was indeed so, there was no way Yggdrasill could oppose them. And they could finally make amends for their mistakes, together.

--

A/N: I know every author in the fanfiction world wants reviews, so I won't waste your time begging. But I put my heart into this story, and if you like it enough to care, I'd like to hear what you have to say!

Yes, there will be a second chapter. And, hopefully, a third, if anyone actual bothers to read this.

Also, I stole the following phrase from Meowzy-chan because I love it and I love her. If you like KratosxYuan, or even just Yuan for that matter, then go check out her fics, and be prepared to meet the most hilarious ToS parodies in the history of ToS parodies!

"Every time you flame, a Mithos kicks a Yuan. Please, think of the Yuans."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: And here's chapter two! I won't post the third chapter until I get some reviews… let's say three. Three reviews and one new chapter… that can't be too hard, can it?

I didn't mean to make Kratos such a jerk. It just kind of happened. ;

Disclaimer: ToS and everything about it belongs solely to the wondiferous people at Namco, namely Kosuke Fujishima. I wouldn't know what to do with it if I owned it… well, except maybe convince Kratos and Yuan to NOT leave on Derris-Kharlan. And a couple other things too, I guess.

Spoilers: Again, major major major big spoilers. Super-big. If spoilers were God-Generals, this would be Largo. x3

--

Chapter Two

Yuan reached the angel's quarters on the top floor of Welgaia just a few minutes later, and found it locked; but that was to be expected. He considered using the voice-communication system to contact Kratos from outside, but in the end decided to allow the door's identification panel to grant him access, recognizing his mana signature as belonging to one of the four Seraphim, a position worthy of unquestioned admission to all regions in Derris-Kharlan and beyond. Even Vinheim, although he for one wouldn't choose to enter Mithos' castle uninvited. They'd learned rather quickly that Yggdrasill didn't approve of unwelcome visitors.

Opening the door, he stood quietly in the threshold. Kratos sat at the window ledge in full Cruxis regalia, one leg bent in front of him, the other resting on the floor. He stared down at the clouds listlessly, but as Yuan stood, waiting, he seemed to sense that someone was there. He didn't turn his head, but after a moment said quietly, "Yuan. You're back. It's… been a long time."

Yuan nodded, even though Kratos wasn't looking at him. "It has." He moved, then, closing the door behind him and crossing the small room to the bed across from where Kratos was sitting. The thin sheets were very neatly folded, but with the look of having not been slept in, or even touched, for weeks. Giving it a sharp glance before he sat down, Yuan forced a smile onto his face and said into the silence, "I come back after a year and this is how you greet me? I came to let you know that I'll be moving back to Welgaia in a few weeks."

This unexpected comment caused Kratos to raise his head and meet Yuan's eyes a moment before they fell to a point on the floor. "Oh?"

Yuan frowned deeply. He hadn't liked the look in his friend's eyes, and he wasn't sure which was more worrying, that or the fact that he wouldn't look at him at all. "Yes. As much as I enjoyed working on the surface, it's too difficult to keep up with the goings-on in Derris-Kharlan unless I come here more often." _And once the Renegades make their move, it will look too suspicious if I remain there._

Kratos said nothing, and Yuan looked around the too-clean room uneasily; the only part of it that looked lived-in was his wide desk that was littered with papers. "How long has it been since you left your room?" he asked jokingly.

He thought he saw a flash of irritation in Kratos' eyes. "I leave it occasionally," he said, causing Yuan to think twice about his question. "I take messages to the priests and Grand Cardinals for Lord Yggdrasill."

This conversation was not going the way it was planned. He and Kratos almost never referred to Mithos by that name when talking to one another. _What is going on here?_

At that moment, a small transmitter on the Seraph's desk began to flash; Kratos immediately stood and went over to it, pressing a button that caused the light to cease and a steady voice to emit from it. Though Yuan was still seated, his angelic hearing picked up the message: apparently a small outbreak of complaints had started in Palmacosta; some mage must have noticed the decline in mana and decided to do something about it. _Good for him_, thought Yuan. _Too bad it will be repressed before nightfall._ He looked up at Kratos, who usually shared his sympathies, but the angel had turned off the transmission and gone over to his personal computer database. After tapping a few keys, he strode over to the door and stopped with his hand on the opening mechanism.

"I'm going to go inform Magnius," he said bluntly, causing Yuan's eyes to widen. "I'd rather that you left before I get back."

Before Yuan could think to protest, Kratos unfurled his wings and opened the door, rising several inches above the ground before gliding through.

Yuan found his voice at last. "Kratos—" he managed in a strangled tone, for a second believing that the angel wasn't going to come back. But the tall form appeared in the doorway once more, a crease of either pain or frustration between his eyes. "Yes?"

All he could think to say was, "You never used to fly."

Kratos' detached expression was back, and Yuan doubted suddenly that he had ever seen it change. "Didn't I?" said the Seraph impassively, before leaving Yuan alone in his room.

--

A/N: And there's chapter two! What is the world is Kratos' problem now? (I'll give you a hint: it ain't Anna. She comes waaaay later.) All you have to do to find out is go look up at the top of the page and check the review counter. Less than three? Then review! More than three? Um… review anyway? Come on, I'll give you a break if your computer is slow, but we must have something in common if you like my fic enough to have read this far. You wouldn't want to make a kindred spirit unhappy, would you?

V

V

V

V

It's right there! You don't even have to be logged in! Convenient, ne?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: All right, three reviews! I had to rewrite this chapter twice because the first time Yuan got WAY out of character. I think I did it okay this time, though. There's still angst, but… it's a little more believable. And no, Yuan is not going to try to kill himself. I'm sure that's been written already. More than once.

You guys are aware that this is NOT a Kruan fanfiction, right? Just checking.

Disclaimer (which is pointless but oddly fun to write): Tales of Symphonia does not belong to me. If it did, the sequel would have been released in the USA looong ago.

Spoilers: What I want to know is, if you haven't beaten the game, why in the world are you reading this?? Go play it and come back when you've finished. Then again, if you're this far into it, I have to assume you know everything by now. I think I just enjoy writing these. :3

This chapter is more from Botta's point of view… it was originally from Yuan's, like before, but I found that I enjoyed Yuan's personal angst entirely too much. x3

--

Chapter Three

"Are you all right, sir?"

Yuan didn't answer, preferring to continue to gaze out the window as if he could see the Tower of Salvation in the distance. Botta, sensing his superior's mood, closed the door to the room behind him and moved closer to Yuan, standing patiently by the four-post bed. He'd known when the Seraph had come right back to the base after spending not two hours on Derris-Kharlan that something had to be wrong. But he knew Yuan didn't like to be pressed for information, so he was content to wait, studying the familiar face that bore a taut, closed-off look.

Five minutes passed, and then Yuan said in a weary voice, without turning around, "I don't know what to do, Botta."

Botta had seen him like this twice before; once, around the time they'd first began to speculate about forming the Renegades, when a Desian underling who'd been helping them was publicly executed for treason, and again when Yuan had overseen the recent Tethe'allan Regeneration, and the poor girl's mana signature had been rejected. Both times, Botta had been unable to do anything but listen to his friend and try to console him, reminding him that they were working toward a better future, and that it would take time. Now, however, it seemed that this problem was more personal, and Botta hesitated to delve into it without letting Yuan make the first move.

But he needn't have worried; after another brief silence, Yuan moved to face him, and Botta felt a twinge of sympathy at his superior's pained expression. "I don't know how I can go back there," the blue-haired man muttered quietly, almost to himself. "I tried to stay, but I felt like I'd be sick if I remained in that place for one more minute. Everything's too white, there… it's full of angels, and yet somehow it's empty." He shook his head, either to rid himself of a bad thought or to disagree with one. Then he gazed down at Botta, his expression unreadable, until Botta got the feeling he was looking though him. Yuan sat down next to him heavily, bringing his hand up to his mouth. "I can't stand the thought of going back, but if I don't, all our plans might be ruined."

Botta spoke, finally. "And Kratos?" he asked, watching the Seraph carefully.

Yuan didn't move, just stared off into the distance. When he spoke, it was in a voice that was carefully measured to contain no emotion. "I… can't depend on him anymore."

Botta stared at him for a long time, and Yuan purposefully avoided meeting his eyes. He knew that the man needed space, but if this didn't end now, he didn't think it ever would. "Sir," he breathed. "Please tell me what happened. Perhaps it's not as bad as you think."

Yuan shook his head. "I can't reach him. I don't know what's wrong. I thought that maybe he was unsure of the path he followed, or angry with me for leaving, but when I spoke to him, he treated me as a stranger, as if we hadn't been closer than brothers for four thousand years." He took a shaky breath. "He's gone to go help Magnius put down an uprising in Palmacosta. I remember when he'd rather go to Kvar and tell _him_ to do it than go and do it himself. I don't…." He turned to Botta helplessly. "Can a person change that much?"

Botta regarded him gravely. "You have," he said. "But you changed for the better. We have to assume that the opposite is possible as well."

Yuan didn't say anything to this at first, then tensed, his hand clenching into a fist at his side. "Dammit," he hissed. "I have to go back. But I can't do it without him. Botta… what should I do? What would you do?"

"I would go back tomorrow," he said slowly, "and find him. I would… find something that he had cared for in the past. And I would use it to make him remember who he is."

Yuan snorted, a hint of a smile on his face. "That sounds incredibly corny. (A/N: Oh Yuan. "Moths to a flame", anyone?) And besides, Kratos doesn't have anything like that. He's not a material guy. He used to say that all he needed was his sword and he could make a living for himself." Yuan's head tilted forward as he remembered, his curtain of hair falling across his suddenly smiling face. "And Mithos would stare at him like he was some sort of god, and Martel would laugh, even though I knew she would rather he left his sword behind. I… asked if he would need us. And Kratos just looked at me, and said.…" Yuan laughed suddenly. "He made some comment about how he'd ditch us losers the first chance he got. But we knew he didn't mean it, because he never did." Yuan glanced over at Botta, who was watching him with an immense feeling of relief, the feeling he always got when his superior exchanged his brooding mood for a happier one.

"And I'm sure he doesn't mean it now," Botta asserted. "Go talk to him tomorrow. If he's anything like you, I'm sure he can be made to see reason. Eventually."

Yuan stuck his tongue out at the younger man. "I'm perfectly reasonable when I need to be."

Botta just nodded, getting to his feet. "It's getting late, sir. You should get some rest."

Yuan sighed. "All right then. I'll be going back in the morning." He gave Botta a hard look. "And don't allow me to talk myself out of it, either."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir," Botta assured him with a grin.

--

A/N: So that's that. Don't worry, Yuan and Kratos will have their showdown in the next chapter. There may be two more, or maybe an epilogue, I'm not sure. I can't say that this will all end happily, because we all know the state of affairs at the start of the game (a mere 50 years from now!) but I'll try to give it the ending it deserves.

But as always, there will be no more chapters if there are no more readers, so please review!! Plus, if you review you can tell me what else you want me to write about, because I'm a little short on inspiration at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm finished! This is the final installment of Consequences, and thank you so much to all of you who are reading this and (hopefully) reviewing it!

Disclaimer: Symphonia is © Namco, and the characters are © Kosuke Fujishima.

--

Consequences

Chapter Four

The sun was still low in the sky when Yuan reached the Tower of Salvation the next morning. The clouds from the day before had lifted, and now only a few remained in an otherwise clear sky. Hoping this boded well for the upcoming confrontation, Yuan reluctantly landed and let his wings vanish. For a moment he gazed up towards the top of the Tower; from this close, the height seemed too staggering to be real. Yuan sighed. He hadn't wanted to leave the Renegade base, yet already he knew he hadn't left soon enough; anxiety had had far too much time to build in his stomach, and if there was one thing he needed to be in Welgaia, it was level-headed. He couldn't back out now, but Goddess, he wished he could. _Breathe_, he told himself firmly. _Kratos has known you for millennia; he won't shove you aside now. _

He was heading over to the portal when he passed by a wooden structure built off the opening to the Rheiard hangar. A pang in his chest reminded Yuan that he and Kratos had built this more than 3,000 years ago, using magic to sustain it throughout the centuries. It was one of the first things they'd done as Cruxis that Mithos hadn't helped them with… though it certainly hadn't been the last.

Yuan hesitated only a moment before walking over, opening the unlocked gate and stepping into the broad enclosed area beyond. "Noishe?" he called softly, and almost immediately the white-green arshis bounded over to him, having likely scented Yuan even before he called. Noishe whined, rubbing his head against Yuan's shoulder, and Yuan scratched him behind the ears with a reluctant grin. "Poor thing," he murmured. "I'll bet you've been really lonely here, huh." Noishe let out a small howl, which Yuan took to mean yes. "Has Kratos been visiting you at all recently?"

Noishe whimpered, and suddenly Yuan recalled Botta's words from the previous evening. _"I would… find something that he had cared for in the past. And I would use it to make him remember who he is."_

_Hmm._ Yuan frowned speculatively. _Perhaps Noishe…?_

Noishe whimpered again, more urgently, just as a deep voice said from behind him, "Yuan."

Yuan spun around, startled, to see Kratos standing just outside the gate, arms folded and a pensive expression on his stony features. "Kratos," he breathed. "I… didn't expect to see you down here."

"No doubt," his old friend said stiffly, his gaze cold and distant. "And I have to say I thought the same."

Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "I am not as much a coward as you might think." He moved as Noishe suddenly left his side, stepping over to where Kratos stood. The angel hesitated, then reached up a hand and rested it on Noishe's long nose. "I'm sorry, Noishe," he murmured. "I was busy."

Yuan shook his head in confusion. "Busy? I want some explanations, Kratos, and I want them now. Have you really changed that much?"

Kratos' expression changed; a flicker of anger shone in his eyes. "Me?" he said quietly. "Me? Don't you dare blame _me_, Yuan."

"What…?" Yuan mouthed, but Kratos spoke over him.

"I waited for you to come back. But when I asked what you were doing, you avoided my questions. I _knew_ you were lying to me!"

"Well, I—"

"What was it, then? Building a ranch of your own down there? I knew you'd always hated Welgaia, but _this_?"

Yuan felt the heat of rage building in his chest as he saw how his only true friend had turned against him. "A ranch? How could you--? How could you _think_ that? What in the worlds did Mithos tell you?"

Kratos' mahogany gaze pierced through his own without hesitation. "You know what it's been like here for the last four thousand years. After all that time, do you imagine that it got any _easier_? And yet you dare to keep secrets from me! Mithos didn't tell me much—but he made it clear enough. Do you think that all of it… everything, all of the lives that were sacrificed… was for _nothing_? Why should you come back, when a year has passed? Why would you keep such a distance unless it was deliberate? I know you said to call for you—" Here, Kratos' tone faltered. "But weren't you compelled to say that? I know that some of what we're doing is wrong, but when I can't even depend on _you_, Yuan… that doesn't matter to me anymore."

Yuan could only stare at him, feeling the heat slip away and a terrible ache begin to take its place. "Look… Kratos… I can explain…."

"Yes. Please, do."

"But…" He cast an anguished gaze upon the other Seraph. "I…" _I've already lost his trust. __If I do tell him… what is to stop him from telling Mithos, now?_

"I can't."

For a long moment, all that could be heard was the shrill of the wind around them, and Noishe's soft whine as Kratos' fingers tightened in his fur.

"Forgive me." Yuan's voice was hushed. "I still care about you as much as I ever did. All I want is for you to understand that."

Kratos stood without moving for a long time. Then he bent his head; less a nod and more of an acknowledgement. "Thank you," he said, but the words were hollow and unhappy.

"Kratos," Yuan pleaded softly, "I'll stay here. I promise—"

"No," Kratos shook his head. "You should go. It's better for you." Moving his hand from Noishe's fur, he met Yuan's eyes, and something wordless passed between them, rendering Yuan momentarily incapable of speech. Then he turned and walked the short distance to the warp pad.

Yuan felt a pain twisting at his heart, felt something breaking with each step the man took away from him.

People change. It was inevitable. But as Botta had said, they always had the ability to change back.

It might take time. But time was the one thing Yuan had more than enough of.

"Kratos."

The half-human, half-angel figure paused.

"I'm going to stay."

On the warp pad, light danced and wings flared as Kratos expelled excess mana; in frustration, perhaps, or anger, or sorrow. When the light faded, he was gone.

Yuan followed close behind.

FIN

--

A/N: The end!! -hands out cookies to all my reviewers- Thank you so much for bearing with me. I know the ending was kind of sad… but that's how it is in the game, and I was trying to make it as canon as possible. Plus, I am a total sucker for bittersweet endings. See? Yuan decides to not give up on Kratos, and to be there for him, no matter what. :3 And Mithos was just messing with him, planting doubt in Kratos' mind like the manipulative little boy he is. I don't think there will be an epilogue or anything; I kind of like the ending as it is, and I hope you did too! As always, thanks for reading!


End file.
